A rifle or shotgun when fired generates a recoil force. Typically, such a firearm is positioned against the shoulder of the shooter. The recoil force is applied to the shoulder. To reduce the amount of the force applied when the firearm is used, firearms utilize recoil pads attached to the back of the stock of the firearm. Generally, at least a considerable part of the recoil pad is made of a resilient material, such as rubber. The resilient material is intended to absorb at least part of the generated recoil force so that the force applied to the shooter is reduced.
A major drawback associated with previously devised recoil pads concerns the requirement that they must be shaped or re-worked to fit the butt end of the firearm stock. More specifically, recoil pads made from rubber, for example, are typically oversized so that they are able to be modified to fit the butt ends of different firearm stocks that may vary somewhat in size. That is, because of costs and manufacturing considerations, it is usually not practical to make the recoil pad so that it exactly fits the butt ends of stocks, which may vary slightly from stock to stock. Instead, a common oversized recoil pad is manufactured and, when fitting the recoil pad to the particular stock, material is removed from about the outer surface of the recoil pad until the desired size for the particular stock is reached. This shaping or modification of the recoil pad is time-consuming and contributes to the cost thereof.
A further drawback associated with a substantial number of recoil pads relates to the discomfort experienced by the shooter due to the relative hardness of the recoil pad. When the firearm is fired, the recoil force is applied to the relatively hard recoil pad which is transmitted to the shooter's shoulder. Such recoil pads are uncomfortable and are not soft against the shooter's body or shoulder when the firearm is discharged.
Another aspect associated with recoil pads for which improvement is sought concerns the mechanism by which the recoil pad is attached to the stock of the firearm. Many recoil pads are attached using fastening screws or the like that are inserted through the top surface of the recoil pad. Because recoil pads are typically made of a rubber-like material, such material tends to permit the fastening screws to pull through or not remain in the recoil pad. Furthermore, in many cases, these recoil pads have the head of the fastening screw exposed at the top surface of the recoil pad, thereby detracting from the overall appearance thereof.
A number of prior art attachment schemes have been developed in which the fastening screws have been fully contained within the recoil pad; however these schemes require that the base of the recoil pad be molded around a rigid member which is then connected to the firearm stock. This complicates the manufacture of the recoil pad. In addition, these attachment schemes do not address the problem of having to re-work or fit the recoil pad to a specific firearm stock.